Electric battery.



Patented Oct. 22, |90I.

P. CHAPUY.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

(Application filed Feb. 21, 1901.)

(No Model.)

`f/ ///////1 rf/ Ifzwizoi. PamZ 6% NIT STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL CIIAPUY, OF VINCENNES, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,101, dated October22, 1901. Application filed February 21,1901. Serial No. 48,334. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concer-7c:

Be it known that I, PAUL CHAPU'Y, engineer, a citizen of the FrenchRepublic, residing at Vincennes, department of Seine, France, (andhaving post-office address 9 Rue de Bagnolet, in the said city,) haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Batteries, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric batteries; and the objects andadvantages thereof will be set forth in the accompanying specification,while its novel features will be covered in the claims forming a part ofIthe same.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are cross- .sectional views of batteryelements, Fig. 2

being a slight modification of the form shown by the other.

Like characters refer to like parts in both figures.

a represents blocks of material capable of resisting the action of theelectrolyte and having large pores and provided with cavities for thereception of the positive electrodes b, which may be of any preferredkind. The blocks a may be rectangular, as shown, and as it is presumedthat the active material is liable to swell each positive electrode isinclosed in a special block a in order to prevent disaggregation.

The positive electrodes b are of cylindrical form, and they are embeddedin the blocks or cases a, while the negative electrodes c are situatedbetween the blocks or cases a, and said electrodes may be made of anysuitable material. In Fig. 1 the negative electrode is in contact withthe inner faces of the blocks or cases a, while in Fig. 2 it is shown asbeing out of engagement, such relation being secured by spacing piecesor strips d; but in both cases the positive electrodes are arranged inparallel rows of cylinders, while the negative electrodes are arrangedbetween the blocks in which said positive electrodes are embedded. Thepores in the blocks ci must communicate with each other and present asectional area sufficiently large to facilitate the escape of the gasesandv allow the freecirculation of the electrolyte, as otherwise in oonsequence of the chemical actions which t-he electrolyte undergoes underthe action of the current great differences in the speciiic gravity ofits various layers would exist. A suitable material for the said blocksa is made by taking divided ceramic substance mixed with a granularmaterial capable of being volatilized or burned, so as to leave in theceramic material pores of a size corresponding to that of the articlesof the said granular material, the size of which particles musttherefore be suitably chosen. As ceramic substance I use, preferably, amixture 'of pure clay or kaolin and of a iiux, and as the said granularmaterial I may use divided coal carefully sifted to the required sizeand free from impurities or ashes capable of forming with the pasteenamel which would be impervious or block up the pores. The ingredientsare crushed and mixed in a mill, and sufficient water is added to form aconsistent paste, which is molded into the requisite forms and dried,the drying being completed in a drying-stove. The blocks are then bakedat a temperature exceeding 1,200o centigrade, which may be done on akiln similar to the kilns used for baking porcelain.

The cavities for the reception of the electrodes may be formed in theblocks while they are being made or after they are made.

While a battery constructed in accordance with my invention is beingcharged or discharged it may happen that particles of lead peroxid areentrained by the gases which are evolved. These particles would bedeposited in the pores of the blocks and form continuous depositscapable of electrically connecting opposite electrodes, thus giving riseto slow internal discharge or to short-circuiting. In order to obviatethis, I may insert between two electrode-retaining blocks or betweensuch blocks and the opposite electrodes strips d, of insulatingmaterial-such, for example, as ebonite, as shown in Fig. 2so that asmall free space is left between. This free space may, however, beprovided by other- Wise fixing the blocks or blocks and electrodes sothat a certain amount of space or play is left between them. Thisarrangement prevents the formation of any continuous conducting depositof the entrained particles, and if any should be detached from the blockor electrode it will fall to the bottom of the cell through the saidsmall free spaces. A small space may be provided below the elec- IOOtrodes sufficient to prevent the formation of a short circuit. Whenthere is no ground to fear that continuous deposits will be formedbetween the electrodes, the blocks may be replaced by a filling massprepared by grinding to powder the hereinbefore described ceramic massor simply by putting back the powder that drops from the blocks in thecourse of their manufacture.

My invention can be applied either to storage batteries or to primarybatteries.

Having described the invention, I claim- 1. In a battery, a plurality ofporous nonconducting blocks, electrodes embedded in said blocks andconsisting of rows of separate parts and an electrode between saidblocks.

2. In a battery, a plurality of porous nonconducting blocks, electrodesembedded in said blocks and consisting of parallel rows of cylinders,and an electrode between said blocks.

3. In a battery, a plurality of porous nonconducting blocks, electrodesembedded in said blocks and consisting of rows of separate parts, anelectrode between said blocks, and spacing-strips in contact with theinner faces of said blocks.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

PAUL CIIAPUY.

Witnesses:

HENRY SCHWAB, EDWARD I). MACLEAN.

